TOO much water??

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jillybeanpuff
jillybeanpuff Posts: 144 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I usually drink between 12-20 cups of water a day. I drink more when I am at work because I have filtered water while my tap water at home is nasty and I don't like going through a whole case on the weekend. My boyfriend told me that drinking too much water can kill you. I don't believe him. He said that he saw on 1000 ways to die that a runner died from drinking too much water. Something about water flushing out your system but along with toxins it flushes nutrients, potassium and electrolytes and such. So I know its kind of a silly question but has anyone heard this, that drinking TOO much water is bad for you??
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Replies

  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
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    I know a woman drowned herself drinking too much water trying to win a Nintendo Wi. But, that was a bit extreme. I don't think how much you're drinking is bad at all. Drink up! (I think the only downer is the excessive pee breaks. I pee more than anyone I know! ha)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    This silly fashion of glugging down excessive amounts of water is just potty and potentially harmful.
    Drink enough fluid to stay hydrated and your body will sort out the rest.

    Your kidneys do not need a ton of water "to flush out toxins".

    The sensible way to measure hydration levels is on your output not your input. If you are urinating regularly and your urine is a pale yellow you are fine. Google images - "urine colour scales" (or color if you prefer!!) if you have a fascination for wee.
  • kmmcquay
    kmmcquay Posts: 75 Member
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    I've heard about that - drinking a lot of water can technically shut down your system and may cause it to think it's drowning. It is possible but I think 12-20 cups of water seems to be a little too much. 8 - 12 cups of water is good because you're fully hydrated for a whole day!
  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
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    This silly fashion of glugging down excessive amounts of water is just potty and potentially harmful.
    Drink enough fluid to stay hydrated and your body will sort out the rest.

    Your kidneys do not need a ton of water "to flush out toxins".

    The sensible way to measure hydration levels is on your output not your input. If you are urinating regularly and your urine is a pale yellow you are fine. Google images - "urine colour scales" (or color if you prefer!!) if you have a fascination for wee.

    /thread
  • catrunsintowindow
    catrunsintowindow Posts: 77 Member
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    I've heard about that - drinking a lot of water can technically shut down your system and may cause it to think it's drowning.

    Incorrect. Your body thinks it's drowning when you get water in your lungs. If you're getting water in your lungs when you drink, you're doing it WRONG.

    The danger from drinking too much water is a couple of conditions called water intoxication and/or hyponatremia. In essence, you've drank so much water that you've diluted all the ions (sodium, potassium, etc) in your body, and there's not enough freely available for your body to maintain normal function. When you see people get sick or die from it they're almost always drinking water exclusively and sweating heavily. This is what drinks like Gatorade are meant to prevent in professional level athletes; it can also be of concern in survival settings (stuck in the woods, walking miles, not eating or drinking anything other than water).

    What does this mean? If you're drinking this much water now and not feeling sick from it, you're fine. If you're concerned, you could consider switching one drink out for a Gatorade when you work out and see how you feel. But most likely if you're eating well, drinking that much water isn't going to hurt at all.
  • nvrgvup12
    nvrgvup12 Posts: 51 Member
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    There is such a thing as water intoxication. This is usually brought about by drinking too much water, too fast. As long as you space out how much your drinking througout the day, your body will take care of it!
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Hyponatremia is extremely rare. Unless you're an endurance athlete exerting yourself for hours on end with only water for replenishment you have nothing to worry about.

    I find all the YOU CAN DIE FROM DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER posts amusing.
  • ericarae33
    ericarae33 Posts: 211 Member
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    There is such a thing as water intoxication. This is usually brought about by drinking too much water, too fast. As long as you space out how much your drinking througout the day, your body will take care of it!

    This...
  • BrittKnee_Rae
    BrittKnee_Rae Posts: 111 Member
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    But this usually happens when you drink a large amount of water in a short period of time and your body doesn't have enough time to sweat and pee it out!! I drink about 150 oz a day, like 10 large glasses.. and im fine :)
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    Incorrect. Your body thinks it's drowning when you get water in your lungs. If you're getting water in your lungs when you drink, you're doing it WRONG.

    Ohmagosh, thank you for the giggle fit.
  • olDave
    olDave Posts: 557 Member
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    And yet another victim of the "drink 8 glasses of water a day" myth. Wow!
  • tolae2006
    tolae2006 Posts: 54 Member
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    Too much of anything is not good so I DRINK each to make my urine is clear not yellow looking that just my opinion.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,812 Member
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    there was a lady a few years back here that entered a water drinking contest and it killed her, it waters down your blood to much I think, I cant realy remember, but she drank a few gallons in a very short period of time
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    I have been drinking roughly 120 -150 oz of water/decaf tea since college. Why? I love to drink liquids. I spread this intake out over an entire day and pee roughly every 45 - 60 mins. I have never had a problem but I'm a fan of salty food, bananas and almonds as well. Maybe if I didn't eat those regularly, I might need to drink less. Anecdotal? Yes. But my guess, your intake levels (assuming they are spread out) are fine.
  • Corruptkitten
    Corruptkitten Posts: 157 Member
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    You can always add trace minerals to your water if you are that afraid of washing them out....
  • chimp517
    chimp517 Posts: 185 Member
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    Listen to your body, the amount you are drinking is fine though.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Hyponatremia is extremely rare. Unless you're an endurance athlete exerting yourself for hours on end with only water for replenishment you have nothing to worry about.

    I find all the YOU CAN DIE FROM DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER posts amusing.

    Ok, I have never told any one they were going to die, but I am quite susceptible to this in the summer. So are you saying that emergency cases are very rare or even mild cases? Is this something I should bring up with my doctor?

    I am talking, when I spend a day out in the heat, I need to have some kind of electrolyte replacement or I will have a splitting headache at best, but I have experienced vomiting, dizziness, etc, as well. One bottle of Gatorade or a half tab of NUUN is enough to avoid the misery, but water, even with salty foods and a banana, is not enough.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    Hyponatremia is extremely rare. Unless you're an endurance athlete exerting yourself for hours on end with only water for replenishment you have nothing to worry about.

    I find all the YOU CAN DIE FROM DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER posts amusing.

    Ok, I have never told any one they were going to die, but I am quite susceptible to this in the summer. So are you saying that emergency cases are very rare or even mild cases? Is this something I should bring up with my doctor?

    I am talking, when I spend a day out in the heat, I need to have some kind of electrolyte replacement or I will have a splitting headache at best, but I have experienced vomiting, dizziness, etc, as well. One bottle of Gatorade or a half tab of NUUN is enough to avoid the misery, but water, even with salty foods and a banana, is not enough.

    If what you do to take care of the symptoms works for you, then I wouldn't worry about going to the doc. I live in a dry climate so the summers, while hot, don't make me sweat like I would if I lived in a humid environment. Sweating can really affect this, so if you're sweating a lot, your replacement drink sounds like the right way to go.
  • jillybeanpuff
    jillybeanpuff Posts: 144 Member
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    yeah, I space out my water starting at 6:30 AM and ending probably 10 PM. And I pee once an hour. And its always clear :) thanks everyone for your help and not making fun of me!!
  • BamBam125
    BamBam125 Posts: 229 Member
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    I've seen a number of people get so called "water poisoning" from drinking too much water under the wrong conditions. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication for basics).

    I've never had it, but it's definitely possible under the right conditions. I was working as a volunteer at a mostly outdoor event during a record breaking heat wave (104 F and near 100% humidity). The event coordinators took great care of us, so no volunteers got sick, but some visitors did.

    As volunteers, we were provided with free drinks (water and a sports beverage) but we were also required to get out of the sun every so many minutes (in mini-shifts) AND we were required to have a meal before/after each 4 hour shift(our choice: eat a home and sign a form or eat sandwiches and fruit provided at the volunteer tent). Between meals we were encouraged to accept the free snacks provided as well (pretzels and potato chips--aka salty snacks).

    I worked most of my time in an area near the medical tent, so I got to talk with some of the EMS staff on site. Some of the visitors got heat stroke, but actually most of them that needed care had water poisoning. Some had to be rushed to the hospital by EMS in ambulances for it. These were people who thought ahead and wore sunscreen/glasses/hats/etc even. Basically it was crazy hot out and so some visitors all drank a lot of water (trying to stay hydrated), but then the heat killed their appetites and so they didn't eat enough. They drank so much water, without balancing it with food, that their electrolytes got so out of whack that it became a medical emergency.

    We were to encourage visitors to get something to eat from the vendors on site--not because we wanted the vendors to make a ton of money, but because they needed to eat something as well as stay hydrated. We also tried to encourage people to check out the education tent as often as possible--not just for the exhibits, but because it was the largest (and coolest) tent with the most misting fans.

    At the end of the hottest day, a day that I'd volunteered to work a full 8+ hours, I remember going inside and then looking at my arms. They were covered in what I first thought was sand, except that it was white instead of tan. The event was on the coast, but most of the area I had been in was grassy. I couldn't figure out where all the sand had come from. Curiosity got the better of me and, feeling a bit silly, I licked my arm--salt. It was pure salt. I'd sweat so much that I was covered in salt from head to toe.

    I'd had a great time despite the heat. And I felt fine. I think this was largely because I'd stayed covered (hat, long white cotton skirt and t-shirt, sunscreen, sunglasses) and because the coordinators took such great care of us for food and drink.

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